What should we classify as ‘essential and non-essential’ jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic?
In this release Fashion Roundtable hears both government’s call for “business to carry on” under social distancing guidelines and the British General Union’s concerns for warehouse workers in fashion.
With the Coronavirus lockdown starting last week, most of us have ended the month in a very different way of thinking to how we started it. Bloomberg Opinion highlights the shift of social awakening and appreciation for essential jobs: “It’s taken a pandemic for us to realise the most essential jobs are underpaid and undervalued”. In essential jobs, it included food and medicine supply-chain related functions such as supermarket cashiers, garbagemen, medical carriers and workers.
Guidelines from the Government during the Covid-19 Crisis are essential. A section on closing non-essential shops and public spaces has been realised, and in regards to manufacturing and warehouse distribution, the Government decided that people can still go to work while operating under social distancing guidelines.
A question of who can and should go to work during the Covid-19 pandemic opens-up a real issue around systemic work abuse. In the fashion sector, this has been raised by the GMB Union Net-A-Porter’s putting fashion before people’s lives in an urgent statement dated 26 March 2020. The Union says that 550 people work at Net-A-Porter warehouse site in Charlton, South London, and whilst the company claims they are encouraging social distancing, the logistics of the warehouse mean that this is not possible to apply.
Mary Stump, GMB Organiser, wrote in her press release to the Net-A-Porter group with £700m turnover: “GMB calls on the company to follow government advice immediately and close the warehouse down before it's too late.”
Net-A-Porter have since announced temporary closure of their online operations — citing difficulties for delivery and warehouse workers to carry out jobs while prioritising health and safety.
Fashion Roundtable has contacted GMB Union to show support in this debate. Additional intel from the fashion and textiles sector has been sent to Fashion Roundtable in relation to similar situation at BooHoo distribution centre in Burnley. There hasn’t been specific guidelines from Governmental on social distancing for distribution centres, resulting in employees being asked to come to work. We question if online fashion retail at these critical times is worth the risks taken at distribution centres.
Tamara Cincik, Founder and CEO Fashion Roundtable, wrote to Government with the following statement: “I know manufacturing and warehouse companies follow Governmental guidance but I don’t feel it is right. It means these workers are using public transport at a time of great risk. Either we should all be in self-isolation and supported, or not. Every single creative I know has no work. Why are those at the bottom having to work on in warehouses. It’s an ambiguous response from Government putting profit above lives. I hope that policy changes, very soon.”
Sarah Ditty, Global Policy Director Fashion Revolution, has added her support to GMB Union and Fashion Roundtable on this issue: “It is unacceptable that workers of any sort - those working in factories, warehouses and shops - are left without the ability to take proper precautions against the virus. Either they should be allowed to self-isolate without losing pay and benefits, or more needs to be done to ensure they can practice social distancing and protect themselves at work during this crucial period. We stand in solidarity with warehouse workers and all supply chain workers in the fashion and textile sector. Fashion companies and the UK Government must prioritise people’s safety over profits and take urgent action to protect and support those working in the supply chain.”
While we follow closely how the debate evolves, we ask our community to send us supporting evidence on their worries for fashion warehouse workers during Covid-19 Pandemic to admin@fashionroudtable.co.uk. This will help when approaching the government and allow them to make an informed decision related the health risks in warehouses, and distinguish between essential and non-essential workers during the pandemic.